How do people in Guatemala pay online?
Cards carry most of the money. The Spanish embassy’s trade office, in its Informe e-País Guatemala of December 2025, cites PCMI data showing that in 2024 internationally enabled credit cards made up 63% of e-commerce payments, bank transfers 18%, debit cards 14% and digital wallets 3%, with gift cards, cash on delivery and other methods at 2%. The same report says 80% of e-commerce volume comes from mobile purchases, and that larger online purchases are mostly financed with credit cards from local banks such as BAC, Banrural and G&T Continental.
Counted by how many shoppers use them, the picture is wider. A study by the Cámara de Comercio de Guatemala, reported by Prensa Latina in May 2025, found that online purchases grew 8% in 2024 and that 59% of online shoppers had paid by debit card, 52% cash on delivery, 42% by credit card, 42% by bank transfer or deposit and 15% with electronic wallets. An earlier Chamber study, reported by DPL News in 2024, found 72% of online shoppers prefer to buy from their phone.
Digital payments are spreading. The financial inclusion commission, chaired by the president of the Banco de Guatemala, reported in July 2025 that 65% of adults hold at least one bank account and that use of instant transfers had grown by about 101%. The ICEX report lists PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay and local wallets such as Tigo Money among wallets in use, and notes that QR payments and instant transfers became popular in 2024 and 2025. For card processing, VisaNet and BAC Credomatic are the most used platforms, with regional gateways such as Pagadito and Tilopay alongside. Visa reported that spending with its credentials on Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 rose more than 15% on the year before.
What rules shape online payments in Guatemala?
VAT is 12%. It applies to sales of goods and to services rendered in Guatemala, according to PwC. The ICEX report notes that there is no specific tax regime for e-commerce: online sales follow the general rules, the tax authority SAT looks at where the provider or web server is located for cross-border services, and payments to non-residents for software licences carry 15% income tax withholding. SAT has also stepped up checks on digital platforms in 2024 and 2025, and electronic invoicing applies to all taxpayers in 2025.
Prices are in quetzales. The consumer law, Decree 6-2003, requires basic product information, including price and payment conditions, to be in Spanish and in the national currency, and article 19 requires final prices to be shown in quetzales.
Shoppers have five business days to withdraw. Article 51 of Decree 6-2003 lets a consumer withdraw within five business days from signing the contract, or from the date it was concluded outside the commercial establishment, especially by telephone or at the consumer’s home. The amount paid is returned as long as the consumer has not used the goods or service. If a seller does not resolve a complaint within eight business days, the consumer can turn to the consumer office DIACO.
Other rules are thin. The ICEX report says the only specific e-commerce law is Decree 47-2008 on electronic communications and signatures, and that Guatemala has no general personal data protection law.
How would Omno route payments in Guatemala?
A merchant would connect once and set routing rules per method, currency and customer group. In Guatemala:
- Card pay-ins would be routed by BIN, so cards from local issuers and international cards each go to the provider set for them, with cascading to the next provider in the rule if one is unavailable or rejects the request.
- Bank transfers would be offered in the hosted checkout through a provider that supports them, with the order pending until the provider confirms the payment.
- Customer groups could offer saved cards and Apple Pay or Google Pay to returning customers on mobile, where most Guatemalan online purchases happen.
Webhooks would report the final status of every payment, and the routing-decision log would show which provider handled each payment and why.
What should merchants plan for?
Plan for cards first, priced in quetzales. Credit cards carry most of the money spent online, and the consumer law expects final prices in the national currency.
Plan for shoppers who prefer not to pay up front. Cash on delivery is still widely used, so card and transfer options should be easy to complete on a phone to move those shoppers to prepaid methods.
Plan for the five-day withdrawal right. Keep a returns process that can refund within the window, and answer complaints within eight business days.
Plan for your own data rules. With no general data protection law, publish a clear privacy policy and keep payment data with providers that hold card security certification.